Tom Friedmansays skeptics of the UAE port deal are "borderline racist." David Ignatiusdisagrees, saying we're straight-up "racist." I say bullshit. The argument being mounted is plainly contradictory. On the one hand, it's supposed to be illegitimate to worry about this because we can't discriminate between countries. On the other hand, it's supposed to be illegitimate because the UAE is a loyal ally in the war on terror. But if the second is the reason we shouldn’t worry, then we can discriminate between countries after all. And of course we can discriminate between countries when it comes to matters of national security. That's how national security is done.

And, look, ally or not, the UAE isn't a strategic partner of the United States in the way that the UK is. The number of countries who have British-style security relationships with the United States can be counted on one hand, if not one finger. We share intelligence with the British that we wouldn't share with Portugal, much less Dubai. An ally as close as Israel has been known to screw us over in defense and intelligence matters because, hey, countries have different interests. A private British firm operates in the context of the rule of law; a state-owned enterprise in Dubai . . . not so much. These are different countries in a thousand ways that have nothing to do with skin color. Pretending not to see the difference is childish and absurd. That a country hosts American military bases proves almost nothing -- we have bases in all kinds of places.

--Matthew Yglesias

Actually, five fingers, Australia, the UK, Japan, Canada and Germany. But that's a minor point. Why should Americans be cautious of any security deal with the Gulf Emirates?

The al-Qaeda network on the Arabian Peninsula has long called for attacks on Saudi oil installations.

Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Nuaimi said output at the facility, which handles about two-thirds of the country's oil production, was unaffected by the attack.

If the Saudis can barely protect their oil fields, how can we trust the UAE to protect our ports.

But this deal is dead if the individual states have to sue in court to end this. In New York, the last time anyone agreed on anything like this was, well, 9/11. The only debate in New York is how to stop this deal and why Bush is selling us out. My mother woke me up to say that it's because of the $100m the Arabs kicked in for Katrina relief which isn't accounted for. Other people think this is because the Bush family has deep ties to the Gulf States.

No one, and I mean from the Post to Newsday, thinks this is in our national interest.

The goal here is to prevent another scene like above.

They put a funeral a day in the paper for a year. A full fucking year. They buried the last man last year.

So if Tom Friedman and David Ignatius, who have been so wrong, about so many things, wants to call New York City racist, well, fine by me.